However, a new debate has come up recently. The U.S. offshore drilling debate is an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether or not offshore drilling should be allowed for new wells off the coast of the U.S. This debate is important because it is an important decision that needs to be made carefully. Sacrificing our ocean life and losing a large amount of sea life to another oil spill, may not be worth it. We need to be attentive to what we are doing and how it is impacting our underwater ecosystems.
There are two sides of this debate, the …show more content…
They serve as shelters to fish and feeding grounds to more than 4,000 species of fish and other organisms. Not only do they provide for fish, they have helped scientists produce “anticancer and antiviral drugs based on substances provided by coral reef species” (CQ Researcher). They also serve as boundaries that harbor against storms and flooding. Additionally, they provide “ecological services, including recreation, fishing, and biodiversity… worth up to “$30 billion yearly” (CQ Researcher). Coral reefs offer a significant amounts of benefits to our ecosystem and economy. It is important that we take the necessary steps to maintain healthy coral reefs. To ensure that coral bleaching doesn’t occur in our sea life, we need to begin with reducing pollution. It is important that we do not pursue offshore drilling for the sake of saving coral